McKinney was about to be a father again, LeTourneau said, and he was looking forward to the birth of his son.

"He would not jeopardize that for something like this," LeTourneau said. "My brother is a good guy. He didn't do this."

She made her comments moments after a Benton County District Court judge set bail for McKinney at $1 million and at $500,000 for co-defendant Joshua Lee Smith after both men made their first court appearances on the charges.

McKinney, 25, is charged with one count of second-degree murder. He is accused of shooting Wylie twice with a shotgun along a rural Benton County road about a mile west of Foley. Benton County District Court Judge Michael Jesse set a conditional bail of $500,000 that limits what he can do and where he can go if he posts bail.

McKinney also is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Smith, 24, is charged with one count of aiding and abetting second-degree murder. He is accused of driving the vehicle that took Wylie, McKinney and a fourth man to the area where the shooting occurred.

(Photo:
Stearns County Jail
)

Jesse set bail at $500,000 without conditions and $200,000 with conditions for Smith.

Wylie, 31, was missing from December until his body was found in March behind an east St. Cloud business. Wylie was last in contact with his family Dec. 10, and family members became concerned because he was noticeably upset.

The complaint says McKinney and Smith let Wylie live with them for a few days in December and they were the last people to see Wylie alive.

Wylie's body was found with two gunshot wounds, one to the hip and another to his neck and face area, according to the criminal complaints.

The complaints cite unidentified witnesses who told investigators what McKinney and Smith had told them about Wylie's death. One of the witnesses rode with McKinney, Smith and Wylie to the area where the shooting happened and saw the shooting, according to the complaints.

That witness told investigators he didn't know McKinney had a weapon in the vehicle. He told investigators that when the situation escalated, he thought he also was going to be killed.

That witness hasn't been charged with any crimes related to the Wylie shooting.

"We have absolutely no information, including from the defendants themselves, that the other person in the vehicle knew what was going to happen. In fact, the only information we have is that he was scared when Mr. McKinney pulled the shotgun out and quickly hid when the first shot was fired," said Benton County Attorney Philip Miller. "He was afraid that he was going to be shot because he witnessed what occurred."